Life-saving belt



July 21, 1925. 1,546,512

R. L. SCHROEDER LIFE SAVING BELT Filed Aug. 20, 1924 a win-"tow 773i Sc/Header;

%%WMM in an inflated condition.

Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH LOUIS SGI-IROEDER, or owmrsnono, maven.

LIFE-SAVING BELT.

Application filed August 20, 1924. Serial No. 733,179.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it -known that I, RALPH LOUIS SCI-IROEDER, a citizen of-the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-SavingBelts, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an improved device for swimmers use, which may be conveniently referred to as a life saving belt.

The device is not to .be confused with the commonly known water wings, floating tubes, and the like. These devices are worn The present device, while simulating the common inflated tube, frequently seen, is worn in a normally deflated condition. The purpose of the device is to permit free swimming in any style; to make long distance and deep water swimming perfectly safe, to establish the elements of confidence necessary to produce an expert swimmer; to lessen fear, and to chim inate drowning without the requiring of physical exertion to render the device operative.

More specifically speaking, the improved belt comprises a fabric covered inflation tube, to be worn around the body beneath the arm, and to be supported in this position by shoulder straps in a deflated condition to permit the free body movement required in swimming.

It is a feature of the invention to construct the belt of a diameter to permit of full inflation of the device, in case of danger, without restricting the chest, inflation being compensated for by constructing the belt of a diameter to loosely surround the body, undue slapping and loose movement of the belt being eliminated by folding the same.

It is also an object to provide means for automatically inflating the belt in case of danger, the means being such as to expand the tube to a predetermined degree to prevent possible bursting and to eliminate the aforesaid constriction of the body.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents an elevational view of the device inflated and placed in an operative position on a persons body.

F gure 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Figure 3 1s an enlarged detail sectional yiew ofa liquid air container used in conunction with the device;

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 represents an ordinary inflation tube, which in the presentins'tance is provided with an elongated flexible filling tube 2. The rubber tube 1 is completelyencased in a fabric cover 3 of a shape and size to permit the tube to be fully inflated. The belt is thus composed of the rubber tube and its casing. In accordance with the invention, the belt is of a considerably larger diameter than the body, when it is in adeflated state. The belt is so made as to permit free and unrestricted movement of the body in swimming, and as before stated, it is worn 111 a normally deflated condition. To prevent it from moving too loosely about the body to interfere with free swimming, the fabric casing is provided with separable fasteners, disposed preferably at the front. While the fasteners could be of some other construction, they are preferably in the form of snap fasteners 4. The compleinental parts of the fasteners are arranged so as to permit portions of the belt to be folded, as indicated in Figure 2, mit the proper ones to be engaged for adusting the belt to a comfortable size. Attached to the lower portion of the cover at the front are common garter clasps 5, which are adapted to be engaged with the bathing suit, as seen in Figure 1. These clasps act in con unction with a pair of shoulder straps 6 to maintain the belt well up under the arm. If desired, the rear ends of the shoulder straps may be stitched to the cover, with the forward end detachably connected therewith, through the medium of additional separable snap fasteners 7 As before indicated, a liquid air container or cartridge 8. is used, in conjunction with the device. The container is preferably polygonal in shape, and is removably fitted in a similar shaped pocket 9 on the front of the cover. The pocket is constructed to facilitate insertion and removal of the container and is provided with lacing 10, to maintain the container in place. As seen clearly in Figure 2, the container is provided.

with a filling and discharge neck 11 fashioned at its inner end to provide a valve seat 12. A hollow stem 13 is threaded into the neck and to perand has its inner end designed to form a valve 14, for eoaction With the seat. The stem is; provided} with a small=hand Wheel 15 to rotate it for unseating the valve. The aforesaid air tube 2 is connected With this stem 13. The container is charged With liquid air, and is of a size comparedwith the belt to contain just enough of such air to completely inflate. the. tube, to; guard against over inflation, and resultant discomfort 0y: burstingpractice, t11 e;-belt,is applied, as; indicated in Figure 1,, with t-l1& ,Cl214S] Z),S;hOOkCl onto the bathing suitandf the strap G-passing forwardly, over the; shoulders and; notched ontothebelt. To facilitate- .swimming,- the belt is, normally deflated as, indicated in Ei-gpre- 2, andpdrtions thereof folded upon themselves and; held, in such condition by he snapaf ste er. prov ed,

Should, the wearer; encounter danger at any time, thesmallhand Wheel 15'is:.turned tomnseattlm valve; 14:. Unseating. of this valve permits the; liquidair to; gasif'y and floyainto thetube 1- thmugh the: intake hose or tub 9 2. Thus, the rubber tttbefl; is vimm ia ely nfl ed nddlwing h *P of inflation, the snap fasteners are automatical. y, is aged o p nnitt fa flat o A swimmer qu pped-w t s eltavill be perfectly .saf e to; att empt distance; swimming contests, to test his, endurance, at,,consid'erahlegdist'anees from the shore, knowing that when he isindanger, he, caninnnediately initiate the belt; to sustain himself indefinitely on the; surface o'fthe. Water, There are numerous other advantages fora beltgof this kind, but; these; need not be-t enumerated,

I claim:

1. A life saving belt adapted to be Worn 40 normally in a deflated folded state, said belt comprising an inflation tube, a filling hose leadingtherefrom, a fabric cover in which said tube is encased; a pocket on said cover, a. liquid air container arranged in said pocket, said hose being connected with said, container, valved means controlling said container, shoulder straps attached to said cover, and coacting snap fasteners for adjusting the diameter of: thebelt;

A life savingbelt of the kind specified adapte.d.to bewvofrn normally lILxtl deflated condition, said bel't-v being of a, diameter, to loosely surround the; chest of the, wearer,

cooperating. snap, fasteners carried by the belt for permitting portions thereof to,,be folded upongsaid belt to permit the deflated belt. to be adjustedto [it comfortably, said belt! comprising an inflation tube, and a fabric covertherefor, said cover beingprovidedz withfa, pocket of polygonaLcrosssectionopen at its v,o uter end and provided with lacing for closing the open en,d,,a liquid air container arranged ;in said gpocket, said con tainer. being provided with a valve seat, a manually controlledmalve; cooper-able With saidseat, said liquid containor being of, a shape corresponding tothatg of. the pocket toaprelvent rotation thereof in thepocket, a conducting hose leading from said container to saichtube, and shoulder straps carried by said fabric cover for aiding in; holding the belt in position. i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RALPH LOUIS soHnoEDEe; 

